Clinical Therapy
Channels & Choices is a therapeutic community built on the principles of safety, nurture, collaboration, and trust. Our model draws on attachment theory, psychodynamic principles, trauma-informed practice, neuro-sequential development, and systemic thinking.
Every staff member is trained in developmental trauma, neurodiversity, and the principles of PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy). We work from the belief that children need consistent relationships, predictable environments, and emotionally available adults to thrive.
Our therapeutic framework has been shaped by leading professionals including Dr Karen Treisman MBE and Professor David Shemmings, who provide specialist training to our teams.
Our Therapeutic Services Brochure
Download our comprehensive guide to learn more about our therapeutic approach, team, and the support we provide.
What's Inside:
- Our therapeutic philosophy and approach
- Meet our clinical team
- Services and interventions
- How we support children and families
Explore Further
Discover the people and the process behind our therapeutic approach.
Meet Our Staff
Get to know our dedicated therapy team members, their qualifications, expertise, and the passion they bring to supporting children.
Our Five-Stage Stepping Stones Model
Learn about our structured therapeutic approach that supports children step-by-step through safety, recovery, and growth.
Our Therapeutic Framework
Safety
Predictable environments and consistent routines that allow children to feel secure and ready to grow.
Nurture
Compassionate, attuned care that meets children's developmental and emotional needs wherever they are.
Collaboration
Working together — children, carers, clinicians and educators — towards shared goals and outcomes.
Trust
Consistent relationships built over time so children learn that adults can be relied upon.
"PACE is about creating safety through connection. It's a way of thinking, feeling, communicating and behaving that makes a child feel safe."
— Dan Hughes
Our Clinical Team
Our integrated therapy department is made up of experienced clinicians who specialise in trauma-informed care and child development. They work directly with children, carers, foster families, residential teams, and school staff to build emotional safety, strengthen relationships, and support recovery from trauma.
Psychological Therapists
Specialist support for emotional well-being and trauma recovery
Speech & Language Therapists
Communication support and language development
Occupational Therapists
Sensory, physical, and functional development
Therapy Assistants
Practical support and therapeutic activities
Consultant Psychiatrist
Child & Adolescent mental health expertise
Educational Psychologist
Learning and SEND assessment support
Clinicians also deliver training, consultation, reflective practice, and tailored guidance, ensuring staff respond to children with empathy, insight, and emotional consistency.
Therapeutic Services
Psychological Therapies
Our Psychological Therapists use a wide range of evidence-based interventions. Sessions may include Creative Therapy (Play, Art, and Dance Movement), integrative counselling, family therapy, Non-Violent Resistance (NVR), and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP). These approaches help children express emotions, build coping strategies, and process difficult experiences at their own pace.
Speech & Language Therapy
Speech and Language Therapists assess and support communication challenges linked to trauma, learning needs, or neurodevelopmental differences. Therapy may focus on:
- Narrative skills
- Understanding language and instructions
- Vocabulary and word-finding
- Speech sound development
- Inferencing and verbal reasoning
This work ensures children can express themselves and access learning more confidently.
Occupational Therapy
Our Occupational Therapists support children with physical, sensory, emotional, and cognitive development. They help children overcome barriers linked to early trauma or neurodiversity by working across areas such as:
- Sensory processing
- Movement and coordination
- Emotional regulation
- Executive functioning
- Self-identity and motivation
- Everyday functional skills
OT helps children feel more confident and capable in daily life, education, play, and relationships.
Creative Arts Therapy
Creative expression provides children with powerful ways to communicate feelings, experiences, and emotions that may be difficult to put into words. Through art, play, and creative activities, children develop confidence, self-awareness, and emotional regulation skills.
Our therapists create safe, nurturing environments where children can explore their creativity, process experiences, and build positive relationships through meaningful therapeutic activities.
Psychiatry & Educational Psychology
Our Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist provides assessments, diagnostics, treatment plans, and medication reviews for children with mental health and neurodevelopmental needs.
Neurodevelopmental: ADHD, Autism, Tic disorders, Tourette’s
Mental Health: Anxiety, low mood, self-harm, PTSD, OCD
Behaviour: Linked to emotional distress
Our Educational Psychologist provides individual assessments and staff consultations to support children with learning differences, SEND needs, and social-emotional development.
Therapeutic Support for Children
Children receive tailored therapeutic support from the moment they join one of our foster families, residential homes, or Sallygate School. Our clinicians complete assessments and provide targeted interventions to ensure each child feels understood and valued.
Neurodevelopmental Assessments
Autism, ADHD, and executive functioning assessments to build a full picture of each child's needs.
ADOS Assessments
Specialist autism diagnostic observation schedules delivered by qualified clinicians.
Holistic Formulation
Understanding the complete needs and strengths of each child to inform a personalised plan.
Targeted Support
Individual and group sessions addressing emotional, sensory, and communication needs.
Children engage in individual or group sessions designed to reduce distress, build resilience, support identity development, and help them feel understood and valued.
Therapeutic Support for Carers & Staff
We provide holistic support for the adults looking after children across our community, because great care starts with confident, well-supported people.
Consultation & Guidance
Expert guidance on emotional, developmental, and neurodiversity needs to support those caring for children.
Group Reflective Spaces
Regular reflective practice sessions for foster carers, residential teams, and educators.
Foster Carer Support
Sessions on PACE, NVR, relationship-building, and reducing blocked care so carers feel confident and supported.
Specialist Training
Training delivered by our clinical team to build empathy, insight, and skills across the whole organisation.
Group & Individual Therapy
Group Therapy
Group sessions focus on emotional regulation, sensory circuits, social connection, and confidence-building. They offer children a safe place to learn, share experiences, and connect with others.
Individual Psychological Therapy
One-to-one therapy helps children explore emotions, reduce distress, and develop healthy strategies. Creative approaches support expression when words feel difficult. Progress is reviewed every 12–16 weeks.
Start the Conversation
We work closely with Local Authorities, parents, and professionals to ensure each child receives the right support at the right time.
Contact Us